The present invention relates to rotatable labels, and more particularly to breaking connective elements, such as adhesive or perforated material, between the rotatable portion of the label and the non-rotatable portion.
Rotatable labels are well known and include an inner layer, or base, adhered directly to a container, and an outer layer, or shell, concentrically and rotatably mounted on the base. During manufacture an application to a container, the shell typically is fixed to the base using connective elements, for example, adhesives or perforations. The consumer or user of the container breaks the connective elements, typically by grasping the shell with respect to the container and the base adhered to the container.
A conventional prior art rotatable label, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,421, is illustrated in its flat, unapplied state in FIG. 1 and is generally designated 10. The label includes a base 12, which is affixed directly to the container (not shown) and a shell having a rotatable portion 14 and top and bottom guide rails 16, 18. A transparent window 20 permits consumers to view information on base layer 12 through the shell. The shell is temporarily affixed to the base layer 12 along the top and bottom rails 16, 18. Both the base layer and the shell are wrapped around the container. Consumers break the ties 54 manually to allow free the rotatable portion 14 for rotation in the direction designated S.
Rotatable labels present a variety of problems. First, there is no way to assure that the label has been constructed properly. For example, if the base and the shell are unintentionally completely glued to one another, there is no way to test for such a defect. Second, it can be difficult to break the connective elements on large labels used on large containers. Third, elderly and/or weak consumers may have difficulty breaking the perforations or ties utilized with any sized label.